Advent in Wales

Mwnt

This is the area called Mwnt, pronounced Munt.  The stone structure you see in the middle of this picture is a kiln for limestone.  This area is known for the limestone that has been taken from it.

This is the church in Mwnt, the Holy Cross Church, where we plan to attend Christmas Eve Service.  It is a 13th century church and is still kept up by its members and not the wales Heritage.

Holy Cross Church

Y Mwnt (the Mount), the oldest church in the County of Ceredigion.  By tradition, a church has stood on this spot probably from the Age of the Saints in the fifth to seventh century.  The dedication to the 'Holy Cross' is a sign of antiquity, for it  seems that a lofty stone cross once stood at the summit of Y Foel hill which towers behind the church, rising abruptly from the sea to a height of around 250ft.  Foel y Mwnt means the exposed mount.

Pilgrims were drawn to this cross-preaching stone and landed on the sandy shores beneath.  Mwnt was a stopping place where vigil was kept over the bodies of the Saints who were taken to Bardsey Island, the traditional burial ground.  Mwnt was also a strategic point on the pilgrim route to the shrines of Cardigan and St Davids.

The age of the present building is uncertain, probably dates from the thirteenth or fourteenth century- the font, made from the Preselau stone, dates from around this time.  In its history, the church must have looked very different from its present plain simplicity.  The remains of a spandrel (arch) and carved stone indicate that the East Window (above the altar) was at one time a stone window of three lights.

A small window on the North Side (facing the sea) has been walled.  The window probably gave view to the altar to those, such as lepers, who were unable to come into church to share in the Mass- Communion.

The Flemings, natives of Flanders, landed in Mwnt in 1155.  Their defeat by the Welsh was commemorated at least in the eighteenth century by a games meeting held on the first Sunday in January called ‘Sul Coch y Mwnt’- Bloody (or Red) Sunday.  Within living memory many human skeletons and bones have been exposed from the farmlands of Flynnon Grog (the Well of the Cross) to the fringes of the shore.  A nearby stream still bears the name of Nant-y-Fflymmon, the Flemings’ Brook.

At the time of the Methodist revival in the late eighteenth century, clergymen who had strong Methodist convictions were invited to preach at Mwnt Church.

We praise Thee, O God, we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.

We will be attending the Christmas Eve Service here!

 These beams bear carvings exhibiting the heads and shoulders of some of the figures of saints which adorned the screen Traces of coloring in red and green are discernible and it has been strongly suggested that there were twelve heads/figures representing the twelve disciples.  One wonders what has become of the other sections of the twelve disciples.  One wonders what has become of the sections of the richly carved beams.

Puppy Cuteness

Beach near our friends Di and John

More Puppies

St Dogmaels(Welsh:Llandudoch) 
The English and Welsh names seem to bear no similarity, but it has been suggested that possibly both names refer to the same saint or founder, with ‘mael’ (prince) and ‘tud’ (land or people of) being added to Dog/doch as in Dog mael and Tud doch.
The village has an abbey in it which we will visit when our family gets here!

More puppy cuteness!!

Look at that face!!

Brother and Sisterly Love!

This is Mount Zion Baptist Church, Cardigan, Wales

They have welcomed us into their church, homes and lives with open arms.

We have enjoyed our Advent Season here remembering the waiting period for our Lord to come to earth.  However, we have truly missed our family at home.  We have joined in Carol services, singing in Welsh (phonetically, of course), but it is not the same away from home.
We wish all a Merry Christmas and Blessed New Year!